SAN JUAN, PR – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded a record $18.5 billion to support long-term disaster recovery in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. HUD’s Deputy Secretary Pamela Hughes Patenaude announced the disaster recovery grants with Governor Ricardo Rosselló and Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón.

These funds are provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program and are intended to address unmet housing needs, economic development, and infrastructure. The CDBG-DR grant announced today represents the largest single amount of disaster recovery assistance ever awarded in HUD’s history and follows $1.5 billion the Department allocated to Puerto Rico in February, bringing HUD’s total investment in Puerto Rico’s recovery to $20 billion.

“Today, we are making a historic investment to support our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “These grants will rebuild homes, restore businesses and the people they employ, and address infrastructure needs. In the months and years ahead, we will stand with Puerto Rico every step of the way along the road to recovery. Our goal is to get people back into their homes, get people back to work and to build a stronger Puerto Rico for future generations.”

Governor Rosselló said, “My gratitude to the Administration, Housing Secretary Ben Carson and Deputy Secretary Pamela Patenaude for this additional allocation of funds from the Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recovery Program. These funds are crucial to put forth our vision for the new, more resilient Puerto Rico that we want to construct. for our future generations. They will help our Puerto Rican families as we rebuild our homes, businesses and our communities that were devastated by the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria on the Island. This good news is the product of our collaborative work with the Administration, our local agencies and our partners at HUD.”

Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón added, “I continue to turn Puerto Rico’s needs into action and am committed to reconstruction efforts from Washington, D.C. I want to thank Speaker Paul Ryan and my colleagues in congress for their support and approval of federal funds. I would also like to thank President Trump and his administration for identifying funds available to Puerto Rico. Lastly, I want to thank HUD and Deputy Secretary Pam Patenaude for her attention, time and diligence on the island. These funds are a substantial tool for economic recovery and I am extremely pleased to see them reach island residents. I continue working to address the needs of the island moving forward.”

CDBG-DR grants support a variety of disaster recovery activities. Grantees are required to spend the majority of these recovery funds in the “most impacted” areas.

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